Ball-firing device

ABSTRACT

A device for firing balls, for example onto the area of play of a game, including a pistol-shaped housing having a manually loadable ball magazine therein and a mechanism within the housing arranged to propel one ball at a time from a magazine upon rearward movement of a trigger mechanism. The trigger mechanism, when activated, ejects a single ball from the magazine through a retention spring clip and the ball accelerates down a curved discharge track or chute for delivery onto the play surface.

United States Patent 1191 Ventura Aug. 20, 1974 [52] US. Cl 273/129, 124/10, 124/49 [51] int. Cl A631) 71/00 [58] Field of Search 273/129, 26 D, 10; 124/1,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 844,994 2/1907 Campbell 124/49 X 867,226 10/1907 Allen 124/10 1,276,308 8/1918 Arden 124/49 X 1,395,072 10/1921 Wilbur l 124/49 X 1,660,127 2/1928 .lonassen 124/10 UX 2,053,152 9/1936 Kiesel 124/27 3,300,215 l/l967 Coffey, Sr. 273/119 R X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,171,815 11/1969 Great Britain 273 129 Primary Examiner-Richard C. Pinkham Assistant Examiner--Theatrice Brown Attorney, Agent, or FirmRichard M. Rabkin [5 7] ABSTRACT A device for firing balls, for example onto the area of play of a game, including a pistol-shaped housing having a manually loadable ball magazine therein and a mechanism within the housing arranged to propel one ball at a time from a magazine upon rearward movement of a trigger mechanism. The trigger mechanism, when activated, ejects a single ball from the magazine through a retention spring clip and the ball accelerates down a curved discharge track or chute for delivery onto the play surface.

10 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures SEBBQQBOO PATENTED 113201914 sum 2 a? a \Iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiil BALL-FIRING DEVICE The present invention relates to ball-firing devices and more particularly to such ball-firing devices adapted for firing balls onto the area of play of a game.

In games of the type using a ball which must be pro-.

pelled or fired at an object or target of some kind it is desirable to provide a device which is of sturdy construction, easy to use and lends itself to attaining a predictable degree of accuracy. Heretofore, devices to fire or propel balls on a playing surface have not been entirely satisfactory.

In some ball-firing devices previously employed a manually loadable ball magazine and a release mechanism are arranged to release one ball at a time from the magazine. The ball when it is released drops by gravity onto a curved discharge track or chute from which the balls are delivered onto the area of play. The acceleration of the ball in this type of device corresponds to the height of discharge track or chute. The disadvantage of this type of ball-firing device lies in the fact that the acceleration of the ball is relatively slow and thus accuracy in aiming the ball, especially when it is fired at a moving target, is relatively hard to achieve.

In another type of prior art ball-firing device, the balls are fed from a magazine to an actuating station where further movement of the balls is blocked by a locking lever pivotally mounted to a trigger actuating device. The actuating device is provided with a compression spring which contacts the ball and, as the trigger is moved rearwardly, the spring in contact with the ball compresses. Continued movement of the trigger pivots the locking lever out of the .balls way and the ball is then propelled by the force imparted by the ex-,

panding compression spring.

While such a device obviates the disadvantage of relying solely upon gravitational acceleration, such a device is still not entirely desirable because the release action of the ball due to the expansion of the compression spring does not impart the full energy of the compressed spring to the ball. As soon as the ball begins its movement due to the energy released by the expanding spring, the ball accelerates more rapidlythan the spring expands. Thus, of the total energy stored in the compressed spring only the energy released in the initial spring expansion is imparted to the ball. As the ball accelerates away from contact with the spring, the spring completes its expansion without imparting any more energy to the ball.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a ball-firing device for games and the like which is relatively simple and of inexpensive construction and yet which imparts a greater thrust to balls ejected from the mechanism than prior art devices.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a ball-firing device for games and the like which affords improved accuracy in aiming the balls fired due to the increase in velocity imparted to the balls.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a ball-firing device for games and the like in the shape of a pistol for ease in aiming and actuation and wherein the release mechanism for the ball is actuated by a trigger device which selectively fires a single ball at a time from a magazine of a number of balls.

' These and other objects and advantages of the pres ent invention will be more readily apparent after consideration of the following specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. I is a perspective view of the ball-firing device of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view showing the ballfiring device of the present invention prior to actuation;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing the ballfiring device after actuation;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a portion of the ball-firing mechanism of the present invention showing the ball and the retention spring prior to actuation; and

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 showing the ball after actuation.

With reference to the accompanying drawing and particularly FIGS. 1 to 3, the ball-firing mechanism MP of the present invention includes a pistol-shaped housing 12 which is preferably of a molded plastic material comprising two half sections 14 and 16 which are bonded together to form the complete housing 12.

The housing 12 includes a pistol grip 18, an opentopped ball magazine 20 and a curved discharge track or chute 22 leading from the lower rearmost portion of the magazine 20. A cylindrical bearing spindle 24 is also molded integral with the housing to accommodate a relatively stiff spring member 26 therein which acts as a pivotal bearing member and is accommodated within a cylindrical receptacle 28 at the edge of a game playing board 30 so that the ball firing-mechanism is freely pivotable about the axis of the spring member 26 to facilitate aiming of the device.

A trigger mechanism 34 is also provided in the form of a lever and is pivotably mounted within the housing '12 on a pivot pin 36 extending from one of the molded halves 16 of the housing 12. The lower segment 38 of the trigger extends from an opening 40 in the lower portion of the housing and functions as the actuating mechanism and is readily grasped by the finger of the user in a conventional manner. The trigger member 34 is biased by a tension spring 42 having one end fixed to a post 44 on housing half 16 and its other end engaged about a hook member 46 on trigger mechanism 34. The trigger spring 42 normally biases the trigger member to an inactive state, as shown in FIG. 2. When pressure is applied to the extending trigger segment 38, the trigger pivots about pivot post 36 against the tension of spring 42. When pressure on trigger segment 38 is removed, the spring 42 returns the trigger to the position shown in FIG. 2.

To use the ball-firing device of the present invention a plurality of balls or marbles 48 are loaded through the open top 50 of magazine 20. Magazine 20 has an inclined lower surface 52 to direct balls toward the discharge chute 22. A guide member 54 in the form of protruding ribs extending from the surface of each of the housing halves l4 and 16 prevent balls in the magazine 20 from entering the trigger mechanism area of the housing 12 and additional ribs 56 are provided in each housing half disposed at an angle towards the discharge chute to preclude all but a single ball from flowing into the discharge area. Guide rib segments are also provided extending from each housing half with rib segments 60 having less of a protrusion from the surface of the housing to center the ball 58 entering the discharge area.

A discharge opening 62 is formed above the discharge chute 22 within thehousing l2 and a U-shaped spring clip 64 is positioned over opening 62 by positioning ribs 66 formed in each housing half 14 and 16. Spring clip 64 retains the ball 58 in position over the discharge opening 62. In an at-rest or inactive state the spacing between the legs 68 and 70 of spring clip 64, see FIGS. 4 and 5 as well, is less than the diameter of the ball 58 so that passage of the ball 58 through the spring clip is precluded.

The forward portion of the trigger 34 includes a nod ular protrusion 72 adapted to contact the upper portion of the ball 58 within the discharge area. The forward portion of the trigger member 34 extends from the trigger housing area into the discharge area through an opening 74 formed in a rib segment 76 which segregates the trigger housing area from the magazine area within the overall housing 12. The lower shoulder 78 formed by the opening 74 in the ribs 76 acts as a pivot stop for the pivoting movement of the trigger 34.

With the ball 58 in place over the discharge opening 62, when the trigger mechanism 34 is actuated by applying pressure to the trigger segment 38, the trigger 34 pivots about pivot post 36 and the trigger extension 72 moves into contact with the upper surface of the ball 58. Continued application of pressure imparts a downward force on the ball 58 which acts on the legs 68 and 70 of the spring clip 64.

Because of the geometry involved, i.e., a sphere in point contact with the cylindrical legs of the spring clip 64, the downward force on the ball produces a reactive force acting outwardly on the legs 68 and 70 to force the spring clip legs outwardly. As the legs of the spring clip move outwardly the ball 58, due to the force imparted to it by the trigger 34, moves downwardly between and in contact with the spring clip legs. When the point of contact between the spring clip legs and the ball passes the point of maximum diameter of the ball the spring clip leg segments 68 and 70, due to their inherent resiliency, begin to return to their at-rest position. The legs under the spring force ride up the surface of the ball to impart an ejection force by a squeezing action on the ball which propels the ball out the discharge opening 62 into discharge chute 22. The ball is then guided by the discharge chute 22 onto the playing surface 30 of the game board at a relatively high velocity.

Because the chute 22 has its longitudinal axis in line with the longitudinal axis of the pistol-shaped housing 12 the user may aim the device with relative ease and achieve a high degree of accuracy in firing balls from the device.

The release mechanism utilizes the full energy of the spring clip as the legs of the clip stay in contact with the ball until they have returned to the unstressed position. The action is smooth and continuous and is not erratic, for example as an imparting action.

It is thus seen that the present invention provides a relatively simple device to fire balls. The device is easy to use and fires balls onto a playing surface with a high velocity with a uniformity of action which lends itself to user acclimation so that a high degree of accuracy may be achieved.

What is claimed is:

1. A ball-firing device comprising,

a housing,

an actuating mechanism disposd within said housing,

a magazine formed within said housing adapted to store a plurality of balls therein and to feed one ball at a time adjacent to a ball eject opening in said housing,

said actuating mechanism comprising a lever member pivotally mounted Within said housing and including a first segment extending out of said housing through an access opening therein and a second segment disposed within said housing,

said first segment adapted to be moved responsive to the application of a force thereon thereby to pivot said second segment from a first position spaced from said one ball fed from said magazine to a second position in force applying contact with said one ball fed from said magazine,

retaining means mounted in said housing adjacent said ball eject opening to normally prevent passage of said one ball fed from said magazine into and through said eject opening until a force is applied to the ball by said second segment of the actuating lever member,

said retaining means comprising a pair of generally parallely extending normally unstressed resilent legs mounted across said eject opening and spaced from one another a distance less than the diameter of said one ball and being adapted to resiliently yield in opposite directions when said second segment applies a force on said one ball adjacent the ball eject opening whereby the force applied to said one ball-by said second segment forces said one ball between said resilient legs, causing said resilient legs to yield to a spacing equal to the diameter of said one ball to permit passage of said one ball therethrough; said resilient legs resiliently returning to their initial unstressed condition while maintaining contact with the surface of one ball to impart an ejecting force on said one ball to eject said one ball from said housing.

2. A ball-firing device as defined in claim 1 including a spring member within said housing having one end fixed to said housing and its other end fixed to said lever member to return said lever from said second position to said first position.

3. A ball-firing device as defined in claim 1 wherein said housing is pistol-shaped and said lever first seg ment extends from said pistol-shaped housing as a trigger member.

4. A ball-firing device as defined inclaim 3 wherein said pistol shaped housing has a forward end including upper and lower surface portions, said magazine being formed in the forward end of said pistol-shaped housing and includes a loading opening in the upper portion of said forward end to permit manual loading of a plurality of balls therein, said ball eject opening positioned in said housing rearwardly of said loading opening and located in said lower surface portion of said forward end; said lower surface of said magazine being inclined toward the rear of said ball eject opening to direct said plurality of balls toward said ball eject opening wherein said balls are successively supported on said resilient legs until expelled on actuation of said trigger member.

5. A ball-firing device as defined in claim 4 including a discharge chute integral with and extending forwardly from said housing adjacent said ball eject opening, and

below said forward end, for receiving said one ball 7 ejected from said housing and directing it onto a game playing surface.

6. A ball-firing device as defined in claim 4 wherein said housing includes a pair of spaced guide rib members extending from said magazine to a position adjacent said ball eject opening, said guide rib members being positioned to engage a ball in said magazine as the ball moves towards said ball eject opening in order to guide a single ball from said magazine to said ball eject opening.

7. A ball-firing device as defined in claim 1 wherein said resilient retaining means comprises a U-shaped spring clip fixed within said housing, the legs of said clip defining said pair of resilent legs mounted across said ball eject opening.

8. A ball-firing device adapted to fire a ball onto the playing surface of a game comprising:

a pistol-shaped housing including a grip segment,

a magazine formed within said housing at the end opposite said grip segment adapted to store a plurality of balls therein and to feed one ball at a time adjacent to a ball eject opening formed in said housing,

an actuating mechanism pivotally mounted within said housing between said grip segment and said magazine,

said actuating mechanism including a trigger segment extending out of said housing through an acess opening therein adjacent said grip segment,

retaining means disposed across said ball eject opening to retain said one ball fed from said magazine,

a'ball contacting segment on said actuating mechanism adapted to pivot from a first position spaced from said one ball to a second position in force applying contact with said one ball responsive to rearward movement of said trigger segment toward said grip segment, 1

said retaining means including a U-shaped spring clip having its legs normally in an unstressed condition spaced from each other a distance less than the diameter of said one ball and adapted to resiliently yield upon application of force on said one ball, by said ball contacting said segment of said actuating mechanism, to a spacing at least equal to the diameter of said one ball to permit passage of said one ball therethrough and to resiliently to return to their unstressed position while maintaining contact with the surface of said one ball to impart an ejecting force on said one ball to eject one ball from said housing.

9. A ball-firing device as defined in claim 8 including a discharge chute integral with and extending forwarding from said housing adjacent said ball eject opening, and below said magazine, for receiving said one ball ejected from said housing and directing said ball onto said playing surface.

10. A ball-firing device as defined in claim 9 including swivel mount means extending from said housing forwardly of said trigger segment to receive a swivel member adapted to be pivotally secured to the playing surface of said game to permit said ball-firing device to be pivoted about a vertical axis. 

1. A ball-firing device comprising, a housing, an actuating mechanism disposd within said housing, a magazine formed within said housing adapted to store a plurality of balls therein and to feed one ball at a time adjacent to a ball eject opening in said housing, said actuating mechanism comprising a lever member pivotally mounted within said housing and including a first segment extending out of said housing through an access opening therein and a second segment disposed within said housing, said first segment adapted to be moved responsive to the application of a force thereon thereby to pivot said second segment from a first position spaced from said one ball fed from said magazine to a second position in force applying contact with said one ball fed from said magazine, retaining means mounted In said housing adjacent said ball eject opening to normally prevent passage of said one ball fed from said magazine into and through said eject opening until a force is applied to the ball by said second segment of the actuating lever member, said retaining means comprising a pair of generally parallely extending normally unstressed resilent legs mounted across said eject opening and spaced from one another a distance less than the diameter of said one ball and being adapted to resiliently yield in opposite directions when said second segment applies a force on said one ball adjacent the ball eject opening whereby the force applied to said one ball by said second segment forces said one ball between said resilient legs, causing said resilient legs to yield to a spacing equal to the diameter of said one ball to permit passage of said one ball therethrough; said resilient legs resiliently returning to their initial unstressed condition while maintaining contact with the surface of one ball to impart an ejecting force on said one ball to eject said one ball from said housing.
 2. A ball-firing device as defined in claim 1 including a spring member within said housing having one end fixed to said housing and its other end fixed to said lever member to return said lever from said second position to said first position.
 3. A ball-firing device as defined in claim 1 wherein said housing is pistol-shaped and said lever first segment extends from said pistol-shaped housing as a trigger member.
 4. A ball-firing device as defined in claim 3 wherein said pistol shaped housing has a forward end including upper and lower surface portions, said magazine being formed in the forward end of said pistol-shaped housing and includes a loading opening in the upper portion of said forward end to permit manual loading of a plurality of balls therein, said ball eject opening positioned in said housing rearwardly of said loading opening and located in said lower surface portion of said forward end; said lower surface of said magazine being inclined toward the rear of said ball eject opening to direct said plurality of balls toward said ball eject opening wherein said balls are successively supported on said resilient legs until expelled on actuation of said trigger member.
 5. A ball-firing device as defined in claim 4 including a discharge chute integral with and extending forwardly from said housing adjacent said ball eject opening, and below said forward end, for receiving said one ball ejected from said housing and directing it onto a game playing surface.
 6. A ball-firing device as defined in claim 4 wherein said housing includes a pair of spaced guide rib members extending from said magazine to a position adjacent said ball eject opening, said guide rib members being positioned to engage a ball in said magazine as the ball moves towards said ball eject opening in order to guide a single ball from said magazine to said ball eject opening.
 7. A ball-firing device as defined in claim 1 wherein said resilient retaining means comprises a U-shaped spring clip fixed within said housing, the legs of said clip defining said pair of resilent legs mounted across said ball eject opening.
 8. A ball-firing device adapted to fire a ball onto the playing surface of a game comprising: a pistol-shaped housing including a grip segment, a magazine formed within said housing at the end opposite said grip segment adapted to store a plurality of balls therein and to feed one ball at a time adjacent to a ball eject opening formed in said housing, an actuating mechanism pivotally mounted within said housing between said grip segment and said magazine, said actuating mechanism including a trigger segment extending out of said housing through an acess opening therein adjacent said grip segment, retaining means disposed across said ball eject opening to retain said one ball fed from said magazine, a ball contacting segment on said actuating mechanism adapted tO pivot from a first position spaced from said one ball to a second position in force applying contact with said one ball responsive to rearward movement of said trigger segment toward said grip segment, said retaining means including a U-shaped spring clip having its legs normally in an unstressed condition spaced from each other a distance less than the diameter of said one ball and adapted to resiliently yield upon application of force on said one ball, by said ball contacting said segment of said actuating mechanism, to a spacing at least equal to the diameter of said one ball to permit passage of said one ball therethrough and to resiliently to return to their unstressed position while maintaining contact with the surface of said one ball to impart an ejecting force on said one ball to eject one ball from said housing.
 9. A ball-firing device as defined in claim 8 including a discharge chute integral with and extending forwarding from said housing adjacent said ball eject opening, and below said magazine, for receiving said one ball ejected from said housing and directing said ball onto said playing surface.
 10. A ball-firing device as defined in claim 9 including swivel mount means extending from said housing forwardly of said trigger segment to receive a swivel member adapted to be pivotally secured to the playing surface of said game to permit said ball-firing device to be pivoted about a vertical axis. 